curve EDITION 03|14
THE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE OF SIP SCOOTERSHOP
THE AMAZING YEAR 2014
20 YEARS OF SIP RIED, MARCH 2014
CUSTOMSHOW RUNS, RACING, EXHIBITIONS
SCOOTER-NEWS
FANTASTIC FOUR
MODERN | LAMBRETTA | EXCLUSIV PARTS | CLASSIC These four catalogues are available in a printed form or can also be perused at your leisure online. They cover pretty much all of the retail products we have available here at SIP. There is something there to suit every style of Vespa. The internet address is: www.issuu.com/sip-scootershop.com | Order Your catalogue: www.sip-scootershop.com
INTRO 03
INTRO News-Flash A different Agenda One Night in Bangkok EICMA 2013 Customshow Ried Bel&Bel Zero Scooter 20 years of SIP Dates Vespa’s restoration Behind the Scenes Vespicture SIP In-House
04 06 08 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 30
Dear SIP customers,
20 years ago, when Alex and I went to a scooter rally in Aachen, spread a blanket on the floor and sold some tuning parts that we had constructed, all we wanted was to foot the weekend’s bill for beer and fuel. We would never have thought that our leisure fun would eventually turn into a ‚proper’ business with 70 members of staff and 35,000 parts on stock. Anyway, we are still as enthusiastic about scootering, as we have been back then and our eyes brighten every time that we are able to make a part available that has long gone out of serial production. Just as PIAGGIO labels more and more parts ‚abolito’ (discontinued), we gradually turn into a manufacturer. Why? Because our goal is to supply you with all the
parts you need to keep your scooters on the road. Today and 20 years from now. Just take a look at our range of in-house productions: http://bit.ly/sip2014. How will the scootering world look in 20 years? Will we all be riding electric scooters? Scootering history has surprised us many times, so we don’t dare to predict what will happen. As 2014 is a very special year for our company, we warmly invite you to celebrate with us on May 10, when we will host an Open Day XL in Landsberg. So long, enjoy the third issue of CURVE and have a great scootering season!
Ralf, SIP Scootershop Team
IMPRINT Editor and publisher: SIP Scootershop GmbH | Graf Zeppelin Str. 9 | 86899 Landsberg am Lech | Germany Phone: +49 (0) 8191 96999-60 | Fax: +49 (0) 8191 96999-70 E-Mail: curve@sip-scootershop.de | www.sip-scootershop.com Print run: 20.000 pcs (german/english) Editorial staff: Sylvia Legath, Ralf Jodl (SIP Scootershop) | Photos: see respective article Layout & graphics: 24sieben | www.24sieben.net
04 FLASH
SIP ROAD 2.0 - A TEST
NEW PRIMAVERA
GREETINGS FROM MALAYSIA
Ted after test-riding the SIP Road 2.0 for the Scootering Magazine exhaust shoot out (Feb 2014) - his old LeoVince immediately went to waste. Cheers Ted! Read the full test report in the February issue of Scootering Magazine: www.scootering.com and watch the short video on our Youtube channel:
What‘s this? According to test riders, it‘s the single most noteworthy evolution of the Vespa since the GTS. The new Vespa Primavera is a real stunner: State of the art technology meets style! Equipped with a brand new 3V engine, the primavera replaces the LX series. Check out some test results, including video clip:
Malaysia - Greetings from Malaysia. On his way to a Vespa rally in Johor Bahru, our customer Narongchai took this picture and sent it to us. The Malaysian/Asian vespa scene is huge and definitely noteworthy. See also Moritz‘s report about Bangkok on page 8.
www.bit.ly/siproad20
www.bit.ly/newpv
Look at the article on page 08
GRABOR – SIEM In 1957 the trademark SIEM was established by the Giri family in Turin, Italy. The post-war economic miracle led to an enormous demand in electronic vehicle components - which SIEM was able to answer. The company became a regular supplier of PIAGGIO, FIAT and other major manufacturers. In 2008 the company was bought up by GRABOR. As SIP Scootershop is on very good terms with CEO Alessandro Bonino, we have already been able to initiate the new production of many SIEM headlights and even more are planned for the future. Please visit www.bit.ly/siemgrabor for SIEM parts.
FLASH 05
EMPLOYEE CELEBRATION AT SIP SCOOTERSHOP:
STAFF MEMBERS CELEBRATE JUBILEE
SIP ONLINESHOP
SIP Scootershop celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. But not only the company but also many staff members belong to the company since many years, some even from the very beginning back in 1994. Today we celebrated a jubilee with 6 fellow employees (from left to right): Dipl. Ing. Alexander Barth (CEO, founder), Andreas Weisse (Warehouse, 10 years), Tobias Hümmler (foto artist, 7 years), Robert Kerner (product development, 12 years), Sabine Duswald (accounts, 6 years), Ernst Gareis (shipping dept., 5 years), Walter Barth (occupational health and safety, 20 years), Ralf Jodl (CEO, founder). www.bit.ly/sipjubilee
RAIN JACKET TUCANO URBANO for ladies, blue, slim line, 100% Polyamid, breathable, 100% waterproof Art.-Nr.: TUR763N2
49,58 €
HELMET BANDIT Sky Jet, w/ star, mat black, fibre glass. Smashing price! Art.-Nr.: 10621
57,98 €
VESPA MEETING MANJUNG Our dealer partner Syafiq Khalid raised the SIP banner at the Vespa Rally Manjung in Malaysia. From 21 to 23 December 2013, about 2,000 Vintage and Modern Vespa enthusiasts gathered, together with 500 more riders of various other scooter brands. The program was made up of a custom show, parts market with dealer booths and a relaxed ride-out of the attending scooterists. Thumbs up for a great event!
T-SHIRT SIP „LX“ black, for men, Front Print, Super Premium 100% cotton, 205g/m² Art.-Nr.: 9528640
15,97 €
06 STORY
A DIFFERENT AGENDA Moin Khan was born and raised in Lahore and had come to San Francisco to study. Frustrated with the way in which his home country was portrayed in the media, he decided to leave his comfort zone and embark on an epic journey back to Pakistan. For 18 month he lived on boiled rice and ketchup, held 3 jobs and worked 70 hrs a weeks to save up enough money to ride his motorcycle (a 2002 Honda CBR 600 f4i) from San
Francisco to Lahore - Carrying only a tent, a sleeping bag, some tools and the will to tell the world that he – as a Pakistani – was just as peace-loving as anyone else in the world. He didn‘t use any maps, because he wanted to get lost and let strangers be his guides. He did get lost. About 50 times a day - equaling 50 opportunities to talk to people and tell them about his country and his ‚different agenda‘.
STORY 07
What do you like about your home country?
What was the best thing about the trip?
Lahore is famous for food and its rich culture. People are super friendly all over the city and a cool thing about Lahore is that no one ever sleeps hungry here. There’s a spot in the middle of the city call Data Darbar where you get free food 24/7/365. The love here is nowhere else to be found in the world. After high school, I went to San Francisco State University for under grad studies. I had the time of my life there, but the day I landed there I knew I was meant to go back. I need Lahore like I need water or oxygen. At the same time Pakistan was constantly in the news for all the wrong reasons. Terrorism, assassinations, bomb threats, blasts and the media just exploded over everything… That’s when I decided to ride to Pakistan on a motorcycle.
Being invited to strangers’ houses and feeling like a part of the family within minutes… It happened so many times. Nicholas in Martigny (Switzerland) saw me parked on the side of the road, taking a nap on my bike at around midnight. He asked me what I was doing and I told him I couldn‘t find a cheap place to stay and it was cold, so I was taking a nap with my helmet and all my gear on... We had talked for less than 5 minutes and I found myself in his house, eating with him and his wife. We talked for a few hours and the following morning I was back on the road. This happened ALL the time. It felt like there was a higher force behind me... crazy, awesome and weird at the same time. Did the trip meet your expectations? How did the people react to you?
When you arrived in Pakistan, you decided to take a Vespa up the mountains towards China…
After getting to Pakistan, the travel bug kept bothering me and so I bought a cheap ($120!) 1962 Vespa, painted it yellow and left Lahore. I made it to the Shandur polo festival, making the VBB the first scooter ever at Shandur (3,734m). Then I rode on to Hunza and finally up the Khunjerab pass through KKH 15,397‘ (4,693m). I did this because I felt like I had experienced the world on my own without ever having explored Pakistan. I can honestly say: It was the silliest idea ever, but I learned a lot about Pakistan. Its hospitality is top notch, random strangers would force you to have lunch with them, restaurant owners won‘t charge you money for a meal just because you‘re a guest in their city... It was awesome! What was the hardest part of that journey?
The trip exceeded all my expectations... I wasn‘t really thinking I was doing something special when I left San Francisco. I didn‘t create a Facebook page or anything. All I was doing was reach out to people and tell them that Pakistanis are cool. The Agenda was simple and the response was unbelievable. A teacher in Toronto would regularly update his class on the progress of my journey and they would discuss Pakistan for a couple of minutes every day. To know that these 4th graders are now growing up, knowing that Pakistanis are actually cool, is just great!
The hardest part about the Vespa ride was deciding to actually hit the road again instead of looking for a 9-5 job and start living like everyone else. Sometimes I feel like I‘m the odd one out, but I believe in doing stuff that makes you happy and maybe helps someone in particular or society in general. I love Mondays and that’s what life is all about, loving Mondays. The day, I start hating Mondays, I’ll switch my career to… I don‘t know… maybe to being an ambulance driver.
Complete Interview and Video on www.bit.ly/adifferentagenda
08 STORY
ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK K
een to flee the German winter and the general Christmas rush, I decided to join some friends from Korea, Taiwan and Thailand, who embarked on a journey to Bangkok. I already knew the city and was looking forward to a couple of days with my friends. There‘s no better way to discover a city than by scooter. As I had alreday been riding a Vespa during my previous visits to Asia, the Bangkok traffic didn‘t shock me and I happily entered the fray. Although my heart is still beating for the handshifted Vintage models, I really enjoyed riding the new S125 3V. The automatic gearbox does
not only make rush hour traffic bearable, but also allows you to focus on your ‚opponent‘ once the traffic lights turn green. Thanks to the Vespa‘s good suspension system, riding over bumps on the city highway at 100km/h was no problem either. Although the city traffic is dominated by twowheelers, the Modern Vespa models LX, S and GTS attract a lot of attention, thus it almost feels like cruising Italy on a Vintage Vespa. As far as Vespa scooters are concerned, there‘s a lot to be seen in Bangkok. For example the „Vespa Flagship Store“ downtown with a beautiful exhibition of Vintage and Modern models, our SIP racing team „Thundercats SC“, Lome with his
new showroom (in a ship container) filled to the brim with original wide- and largeframe models, illegal street races and so on. But as they say: „what happens in Bangkok stays in Bangkok.“ Anyway, it‘s great to see that this hobby unites people from all around the world. Autor: Moritz Kohrs
STORY 13
10 RACE
SIP ONLINESHOP
ESC 2014 The tyres are still warm, the final results for 2013 are not yet in cold print… and the ESC pilots are already making plans for the upcoming season. Thumbs up for their enthusiasm. See you soon on the track, guys!
29.05. - 01.06.2014
22.08. - 24.08.2014
IPHONE DOCKING STATION
CHALLENGE SCOOTENTOLE - MIRCOURT (F)
HOLIDAY IN HUNGARY - PANNONIA RING (HU)
Vespa cylinderhead for iPhone, incl. cable
www.challenge.scootentole.org
www.eurochallenge.at
2/3/3G/4/4S Art.-Nr. 95911600 57,99 € 5/5S/5C Art.-Nr. 95911500 57,99 €
20.06. - 22.06.2014
05.09. - 07.09.2014
RUN&RACE - LIEDOLSHEIM (D)
HARZ GRAND PRIX - HARZ-RING (D)
www.runandrace.de
www.facebook.com/wotoxsc.wolfenbuttel
08.08. - 10.08.2014
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND INSCRIPTION PLEASE VISIT: www.eurochallenge.de or www. bit.ly/escdates14
BLECHKAMPF - BELLEBEN (D) www.blechkampf.com
KNEEPAD SIP for your workshop 435x195x30mm, EVA foam, black/red Art.-Nr.: 12194000
7,48 €
SHOCK ABSORBER BITUBO „Black Edition“ for Vespa LX/LXV/S, Exklusively at SIP Scootershop, front Art.-Nr.: PV042GEVBE
192,44 €
VIDEOS: www.bit.ly/esctraining
Y L I M A F L OI
2-STROKE OIL SIP FORMULA GREEN
2-STROKE OIL SIP FORMULA RACE AUTOMATIC SCOOTER
2-STROKE OIL SIP FORMULA RACE GEAR-SHIFTED SCOOTERS
2-STROKE OIL SIP FORMULA RACE+
4-STROKE OIL SIP FORMULA RACE
GEARBOX OIL SIP FORMULA SAE 80 GEARBOX OIL SIP FORMULA SAE 30
MEASURING CUP SIP
12 STORY
EICMA 2013 News from Milan
Milan is especially well known for two big trade fairs. This being the fashion fair on the one hand and the annual 2wheeler trade fair EICMA. Every autumn, the (aspiring) celebreties of the bike/scooter sector meet in Northern Italy to put their vehicles and products on display. This year we decided to take part as well and took some beautiful custom scooters and a selection of our own trademark products to Milan. From the first day on, our exhibition stand was crowded and we had a chance to talk to many customers from all over the world. With visitors coming from as far as Japan, Australia, Russia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Malaysia, Singapor, Indonesia and all over Europe, we were astonished (and happy) to see that the Italian trade fair seems to be of interest to a truly international audience. While BSG‘s Ale brought his 50PS smallframe to display at the SIP stand, Max Quattrini showed a prototype of his new 200cc cylinder. BSG are currently working on a high end 200cc engine case with a 300cc cylinder. We are already excited! We were also able to present our brand new SIP Road exhaust system for Vespa smallframes. As their official importer, we were especially interested in new Malossi parts such as 2 new engine cases for PIAGGIO 50cc that (combined with appropriate peripheral components) will enable a performance well above the
35PS mark. A version for Minarelli engines is on the way, too. Any news from the big manufacturers? Why sure: While BMW presented their new E-Scooter C Evolution (at 15.000 € more of a theoretical option, though), Kawasaki are entering the scooter market with the J300. Also Peugeot are following the retro trend, securing their share of the market with the new model „Django“. But back to the real thing: VESPA present a new edition of their 70s classic PRIMAVERA, which after all means ‚spring‘ and really leaves you looking forward to the next summer season. As far as style and technology are concerned, the new Primavera strongly resembles the 946 (on display last year). Available with either a 50, 125 or 150cc engine and a very appealing design, we suspect that the new Vespa will sell like hot cakes. Generally speaking, the traditional manufacturer from Pontedera seems to be better off than ever before: In the first 9 month of the year, the Piaggio group sold more than 146.600 Vespas worldwide. That‘s a plus of 25.000 scooters (+21,3%) compared to 2012 and a 250% increase over the full fiscal year 2004. With 165.000 scooters sold in 2012, Vespa are aiming for new record sales in 2013. Congratulations! Autor: Ralf Jodl Complete report & gallery: www.bit.ly/eeicmasip
14 STORY
CUSTOM SHOW RIED 1000 Jahre sind ein Tag (1000 years are one day) We just can‘t get Udo Jürgens‘s catchy tune out of our heads. Not even on the way back home. Half naked men, drunk, happily chanting arm in arm. Clear signs of a successful Customshow 2014. We see Stoffi and Pfeili standing at the bar of their all-nighter and celebrate themselves for the past hours, which - indeed - have had a lot to offer. Not only clubs, such as the Vespa Club Munich or the Vespa Geschwader Hofstätten, who promoted their upcoming event Meet & Speed (July 04.-06.) were present, but also dealers and spare part vendors had come from all over Germany and Austria. We had the chance to see beautiful custom projects, from Ciao Mofas to Vespa small and largeframes, vintage scooters and various Lambrettas. Stoffi had also given thought to the scooterists‘ offspring, providing them with a huge bouncy castle. All in all we had a great day in Austria and would like to thank Stoffi and his team for organizing this fantastic event. Long story short: schee war‘s und nexts moi seh ma uns eh! 1000 Jahre sind ein Tag (*think heavy Austrian accent* we had a blast and will definitely come back next time! 1000 years are one day.)
Autor: Christian, SIP Complete report & gallery: www.bit.ly/ried2014 SIP TV Video: www.bit.ly/ried2014video
STORY 15
Half naked men, drunk, happily chanting arm in arm. Clear signs of a successful Customshow 2014.
01/03/2014
16 STORY
BEL&BEL ZERO SCOOTER The Segway Vespa Legshield, 2 wheels, headlight, fender, mirror… this Vespa seems pretty much complete. On closer inspection however, this daring custom experiment has little in common with a classic vintage scooter:
As the name suggests – there’s actually ‚zero scooter‘ inside of this hybrid, but the latest electronic Segway technology. Two engines, gyroscopes and a clever control unit enable a so called ‚dynamic stabilisation‘, i.e.: the unique property of the Segway: Balance! Although a third point of support is missing, the vehicle won’t tip over. The prototype was designed by the Spanish visionaries of bel&bel: Graphic designers Jesús Bel Vilarnau and his brother Carles Bel Domènech, metal worker David “Chiqui” López Díaz and mechanic Sergi Martínez “Piyuli” Andreu. “We are young, creative and contemporary artists who appreciate and live the art around them“, Jesús explains, „Our motivation to work with ‘waste’ is mainly ecological: Recycling. We love to incorporate discarded, useless items and give them a new, exciting life“. After their successful Vespa swivel chair the recycling artists now showed their latest coup at the Expo electric Barcelona 2013. Believe it or not: The Segway Vespa is way more than a crazy one-off conversion or marketing gag: In 2014 a limited edition will be available for purchase (at an approximate price of € 2.899.-). With a range of ca. 35km and a top speed of 20km/h the Zero scooter will not only be able to transport Asian tourists – Segway style - from one sight to the next, but also carry proper scooterists (max. load 180kg) from A to B. Autor: Sylvia, SIP Complete report: www.bit.ly/ebelybel
SIP TV BROADCAST YOUR SCOOT! Since 2009, we have presented you with reports about scooter rallies, races and events in high deďŹ nition on our YouTube channel. We recommend that you subscribe to our channel so you will be informed automatically when we add a new clip. youtube.com/scootershop
VESPA Customshow Ried 2014
SIP TV @ MALOSSI Race Days
SIP Shop Opening 2013
SIP Vespa Roadtrip France 2013
18 STORY
20 YEARS OF SIP SCOOTERSHOP
VIDEO: BIT.LY/20YEARSSIP
1989 The story begins back in 1989, when both Alex Barth and Ralf Jodl start tinkering with their Vespa scooters. Not satisfied with the available range of spare parts and tuning components, they start designing their own special parts.
1994 It doesn‘t take long for word to spread: soon, friends and acquaintances are lining up to purchase parts and Scooter Innovation Parts (aka: SIP) gets off to a running start. Soon both are in close contact with tuners and suppliers in the scooter scene of that time: Stefan Onken from Nordspeed Tuning, Paul Melici from PM Tuning and Jim Lomas from JL Exhausts, to name just a few. In the summer of 1994, Alex and Ralf have become a fixture at every scooter run, selling their own special tuning parts along with an array of accessories.
1996 Things were soon getting crowded in the first modest shop, so in 1996 SIP Scootershop moves the headquarters to rented rooms in former barracks.
Their first mail order catalog hits the streets - and is followed the next year with another new catalog with practically double the amount of articles. From then on, a new catalog is published almost every year, and the amount of items doubles with each of them. Soon, the first English catalog is presented to a growing circle of scooter afficianados: SIP is moving on in the international scene.
1999 1999 comes and SIP keeps on growing. Parts and accessories for automatic vehicles join the increasing amount of products now offered. Not only is SIP‘s pallet of products growing: the rented rooms are groaning at the seams, so Alex and Ralf decide to rent the rest of the building: 1000 sq. meters, that‘s practically 11,000 sq. feet. At the beginning of the new century, SIP Scootershop is already one of the biggest mail order shops for scooter parts and accessories - thanks to a wide range of products and a team of 15 motivated, ardent scooter fans. Each member of the team, girls and boys, owns and rides at least one scooter.
2002 The winter of 2002 opens a new chapter in the SIP Scootershop story. Once again, the rented
rooms are virtually bursting, and field warehouses have to be rented to hold the ever increasing amount of articles. An old Ape TM from the 60‘s is continually trucking stuff back and forth from warehouse to shipping department much to the amusement of the neighbors. The amount of time lost however isn‘t amusing: To ensure a quick and efficient delivery, SIP needs a home of its own: room for a call center, offices, shop, workshop, warehouse and shipping. So Alex and Ralf put their heads together and come up with plans for a striking new building to be built in Landsberg‘s industrial zone. It takes one whole week, day and night, for SIP to move into its new location.
2007 In 2007 a new high-rise warehouse is added, equaling an additional 600 sq. meters floor space (that‘s circa 6,500 sq. ft.), 10 meters high (circa 33 ft.). All in all, SIP now has more than 2,500 sq. meters warehouse space (ca. 27,000 sq. ft.) storing over 23,000 articles! The team has grown to 50 members, with more than 400 sq. meters office and shop space. A modern logistic system installed in February 2007, now enables SIP Scootershop to ship 400 packages each and every day. And the beat goes on. In the summer of 2007, Kathrin Brand completes her training as a wholesale and export clerk as the best apprentice in this trade
STORY 19
in the entire state of Bavaria. In 2011 Sebastian Bauch follows en suite and completes his apprenticeship as an office clerk with a final grade of 1.1 as the best trainee of the year.
2009 In 2009 the company celebrates its 15th anniversary and looks into the future with great confidence: For the next year they plan a close collaboration with one of the leading manufacturers of high quality tuning parts is: SIP Scootershop is about to become MALOSSI’s exclusive sales partner in Germany. In the same year the Scooter Cross Landsberg gets the SIP Team back down to earth. Literally. Despite mud, dirt and bruises and the guys are already looking forward to another round of off-road racing fun.
2011 The following years are characterized by a growing internationality. After trips to the USA and Asia, Ralf is travelling to Russia in 2011. Mission: Vespa. Some other members of the SIP team are fond of travelling, too. Each year the embark on a journey together, riding their scooters to Italy, France, Croatia… and each year they return with the same
realization: No matter where you are going, the love of Vespa scooters unites people all over the world. Taking this into account, SIP launches a multilingual version of the webshop, enabling their customers to shop in 10 different languages. Nobody in Landsberg doubts that success and responsibility are going hand in hand. Alongside SIP AID (the company’s social commitment and support of various local and international aid projects) SIP is contributing a great deal to the protection of the environment. According to the Motto ‚SIP Green‘ the SIP team incorporates various elements (such as: climate-neutral shipping, hydroelectric power and packaging material made from recycling paper) to increase the sustainability of their everyday working routine. In 2012 the Classic catalogue is published. It has taken the SIP team 1.5 years to finish the mammoth project. 940 pages filled to the brim with parts, tech tips and pictures. Available in German and English, the new catalogue is a huge success and motivates the team to go one… two… three better: During the following months they publish three more catalogues, covering not only their in-house products, but also their range of parts for Lambretta and Modern Vespa
2013 As far as marketing is concerned, the following year comes with a bang, too: Alongside the new
customer magazine Curve (the first edition is published in the summer of 2013), SIP supports, visits and organizes various events. While 1500 international guests had found their way to the Motorscooter Customshow in Landsberg in the spring of 2013, SIP’s participation in the EICMA trade fair successfully rounds off the year.
2014 Everyone at SIP is very much looking forward to 2014. 20 years… who would have thought it when Alex and Ralf started out in the basement of Ralf‘s parents and sold their first parts on scooter runs? For the anniversary year, the SIP guys have several treats up their sleeves. One of the highlights will be the SIP Scootershop Open Day XL, May 10 – save the date! Of course they will also set out for another Joyride, so keep July 5 free, if you fancy a ride through the alpine upland...
Autor: Ralf Jodl Complete report: www.bit.ly/sip20e Video: www. bit.ly/20yearssip
2
20 DATES
eu Auf ein N
es!
25. – 27. Juli 2014 Herten, Zeche Ewald
10/05/14
12/06/14
25-27/07/14
SIP OPEN DAY
VESPA WORLD DAYS MANTOVA
GERMAN VESPA DAYS 2014
Landsberg (Bavaria) Unbelievable, SIP is becoming 20 years old. Nobody could have thought of that back in 1994, when we started in parent´s cold garage. We´ll celebrate with an Open Day XL.
It’s finally official: The upcoming edition of the Vespa World Days will take place in the homeland of the Vespa.
In 2012 the Vespa Club von Deutschland (VCVD) hosted the first German Vespa Days - the event was a huge success! More than 1.200 visitors had come to the former coal-mine Ewald in Herten (Ruhr area) to enjoy the Italian flair of countless charming Vespa scooters.
• Salvatore Mennonna is going to prepare Pizza on wood fire on his Ape • Coffee specialities by Cafe-Ape Bohne37 • Grill & BBQ • Free Dyno Runs by „Vollgas Motorroller“ all day long. • DJ Leo Ernst (Atomic Cafe Munich)
From June 12-15, 2014 the Italian city of Mantova will experience an invasion of two wheelers and we’re already looking forward to being part of it. The Vespa Club Mantova is celebrating its 15th anniversary and 4 incredible days full of hospitality, friendship and discovering the territory are waiting for you. Please visit the official VWD website for further information.
In 2014, the VCVD once again invites Vespisti from all over Europe to Herten! At the heart of the Ruhr area, framed by the historical beauty of industrial culture - the organizers are planning for a bigger and even more diverse and beautiful event this time.
www.vespaworlddays2014.it
www.germanvespadays.de
In case of bad weather date will be shifted to may 17th. Video of 2012: www.bit.ly/opendayvideo12
VESPA CLUB ISRAEL In 2007 the Vespa Club of Israel was founded in Tel Aviv by two longtime friends and Vespa fans: Oren Reznik and Elad Meron, who had been admiring the Italian classic since their boyhood. The club‘s main goal is to unite all Israeli Vespa fans, to provide a home for all classic scooters‘ collectors, and of course to keep the Vespa legacy alive and kicking! With the oldest scooter being a German Hoffman Vespa from 1950, the club accepts all Vespa models and types, no matter if classic or not, thus bringing together old and new, vintage and modern.
While during the season (March-October) a club meeting is held every month, the biggest event of the year is hosted in August. The traditional „VespaMania“ is a big meeting with music, beer and the presentation of restored Vespa scooters. After receiving a WVC certification, the Israeli Vespa Club became an official VC in 2013. The club currently counts about 650 members, with a „hard core“ of 80-130 regulars. The membership is free! In the last 6 years the VC hosted Vespa enthusiasts from all over the world: Italy, South Africa, Brazil, Greece, Cyprus, England, Canada and more. Everyone is welcome to be their guest.
More Information and an extensive image gallery: www.bit.ly/evcisrael
22 STORY
THE STORY
OF A VESPA’S RESTORATION Last summer Florian had parked his Vespa in front of the Bregenz ‘lido’. A passerby examined the scooter and started playing around. Happy that he managed to kick-start it, he decided on a little test-ride. Unfortunately he had underestimated the power of the Vespa’s steering lock and the ride came to a sudden end in one of the trees nearby, leaving both the scooter and the rider on the ground.
As the Vespa’s frame, horn cover and fender had been damaged, Florian had to get it back into shape. Also the rest of the Vespa could do with an overhaul, so we began to disassemble the scooter. After sandblasting, the frame went to a tinsmith. Dents were removed and the rusty floor board was exchanged for a new one (SIP). After treating the frame with anti-rust-primer, Thomas applied ruby coloured paint and a fine, matt clear varnish. Back in our workshop, we mounted new cables, wires, trims, a leather seat and some beautiful chrome accessories. To avoid unwanted test-
STORY 23
shopping list
Tyres, seat and ru
bber parts appr ox . 350,50 Headlight , rear li ght, horn and chrome part s approx . 298,40 € Small parts (eng ine), cylinder kit, clutch and brake pads approx . 396,70 € Tinsmith incl . ne w floor board approx . 550,00 € Sandblast and pa int approx . 1.350,00 € Cables, wiring, sc re ws, 2 crates of beer , lots of pizza and pasta approx . 150,00 € 22 working hour s incl . engine repa irs approx . 1.430,00 € Total (approx.) rides in the future, we equipped the scooter with an unobtrusive ignition-lock under the side panel. Of course we also worked on the engine: We cleaned the engine-case, mounted new bearings, gaskets and a new cylinder kit including piston, providing Florian’s Vespa with a little more ‘oomph’. After working on the 3rd transfer port and welding the sealing surface, chief mechanic Sebi reassembled the engine and the rest of the scooter. Mission accomplished.
Text and pictures: Kirchner-Service, Bregenz Info: kirchners@gmx.at
ca.
4.525,60 €
24 STORY
BAG CHECK
Many people dream about spending their vacations on a Vespa… Unfortunately only few of these dreams become reality. At least that’s what we hear during our annual SIP tours. What has started with 400km weekend trips to Southern Tyrol has long turned into 2,500km tours through Europe. In July 2013 we left Landsberg for a trip to Southern France, Marseille, past Switzerland, Mont
Blanc, along the Cote d´Azur, to Milan, Lake Garda and back home –in no more than one week. (See 2nd issue of CURVE for our report.) Neither did we photoshop the pictures and videos, nor did we have a service car with us. Actually a good preparation, fine equipment and a certain amount of knowhow are all it takes. Here are some practical tips from Moritz:
What do you wear when the journey starts at 7am? What do you take with you?
How do you prepare your Vespa for a tour?
As the saying goes: „Never touch a running engine“. Then again, a complete revision including new bearings, gaskets, brake pads and small parts won’t cost you more than €250.-, I afford this once a year. Going on tour, we usually ride 2,500km in one week. I really prefer to spend my breaks drinking coffee instead of fixing my scooter at the roadside. On previous trips, however, I did have to fix it a lot and can’t help feeling that I drank way to little coffee ;-). I usually ride my 10” conversion VBB with road-tuned PX200 engine. That is: 210cc MALOSSI, 60mm long stroke crankshaft, SI24 carb with DRT float chamber, SIP Road exhaust, SIP CNC Cosa clutch, SIP Touren flywheel and some other gadgets. Perfect for mountains and highway alike.
We are usually travelling south in June/July. On our way we also cross the Alps. That means temperatures vary between 10° on top of the mountains and 35° at the beach in Sardinia. For the sake of aesthetics I don’t use a luggage rack. I store my things in a 70l waterproof Duffel Bag which perfectly fits in the scooter‘s legroom. Of course you could also attach it to the rear luggage carrier. We travel in a group of 8 to 10 people. As we decided on similar engine setups we can all use the same spare parts. Clutch, ignition, piston, bearings… the main parts fit all our engines and we carry a certain contingent of them for the whole group. The only thing the riders have to take with them apart from that are some small parts. Of course there are always breakdowns. Torn cables, damaged oil seals… We’ve seen it all. But so far everyone has returned by own means and on the same scooter that he started the trip on.
As far as clothing is concerned, opinions tend to differ. I usually decide on a compromise between function, safety and comfort. Jeans and leather jacket, or less… depending on the weather. But that is something, people have to decide for themselves. If possible I chose clothing from the TUCANO URBANO range. They offer practically everything: Gloves, thermo gear, neck warmers, rain gear. Of course there are also other clothing brands but the Tucano parts are especially made for bikers, so they come with lots of clever details. E.g.: small packing dimensions, they’re waterproof, etc. I guess you have to ride one day in cheap rain gear to appreciate waterproof clothes. Sleeping bag, thermal mat and towel I buy from an outdoor-supplier. They have great items with small packing dimensions available. Clear goggles for night and rain and sunglasses. That’s it.
26 BEHIND THE SCENES
How to create a SIP catalogue ? Even in the era of online shops, iPad and Co., the classic print catalogue has not lost any of its significance. On the contrary, customers seem to enjoy holding something ‚in their hands‘, while reading. That is why we regularly publish new catalogues. Filled to the brim with innovative parts, exciting stories and technical background information. Here’s how it’s done:
Developers are tirelessly putting new parts on the market. That is why – as a first step – the current range of products has to be checked, updated and expanded.
Now the editorial staff takes over. Detailed descriptions, technical background information, news and stories… the editors turn it into good reading.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Even more so, if technically complex matters have to be depicted. In their new studio, photographer Tobi and his team are putting the parts in perspective.
As soon as the editors have finished their work, the raw data are transferred to the graphic designers. They arrange them in a visually appealing form and prepare them for print.
A precise final control makes sure that no typo gremlin has crept into the document. The finished data are then forwarded to the printing house.
Once the printing machines are running, it‘s almost done. The only thing left to do is provide sufficient storage space and look forward to the delivery…
2 Scooterists on a Vespa facing a lineup of tanks, near Egypt´s Defence Ministry, in Cairo May 4, 2012. REUTERS
2 8 V E S P I C T U R E : S H OW U S YO U R S H E D
In the last edition of CURVE we asked you to send us your best shed pictures. Here are some of the highlights. Send us a picture of your shed: curve@sip-scootershop.de
1 Christian Sprotte - Hauenstein (DE)
3 Michael Bernleitner - Wien (AT)
2 Stu Chamberlain - Colchester (UK)
5 Philip J端ngling - M端nchen (DE)
4 Martin Erwerle - Metzingen (DE)
GUESTBOOK 29
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING 2013 Already sort of tradition is our annual christmas shopping event in the SIP Store in Landsberg. We are offering a great discount on all stock items and serve hot spiced wine, fresh waffles and sausages. Our toughest customer of the day came on his Vespa and we rewarded him with a neck warmer from TUCANO URBANO. Pictures: www.bit.ly/adventsip
SIP GUESTBOOK Hello in Germany!
Dear SIP workers, Congratulations at 20 years anniversery! Best regards from customer garage in Sweden – Ola Backer 24.9.2013
Thank you for the interesting visit and for your help. We had a very nice time! I hope my Vespa is going to be ready for this summer. Cheers from Argentina - Fede y Lauri 02.10.2013
Street Team Hamburg visits SIP Scootershop. Our visit to the Malossi Racedays was a perfect way to round off a great racing season 2013 - STN Hamburg 07.12.2013
Cool. We drew a number and can‘t wait to get our parts. Thank you so much for your awesome support of our 2nd FUN RUN 2013! ORCV ( Oldtimer und Raritätenclub Vorarlberg) Andy, Thomas und Ossi
30 SIP IN-HOUSE
SIP AID - NEWS
SHIPPING-FAQ
Why are some people dwelling in poverty while we are so well off? Why do they have to suffer from famine, homelessness or floods while we have everything that we need. Scooterists help - with every online order, independent from the order amount.
ORDERING
JANUARY 2014 – SIP SCOOTERSHOP SUPPORTS HUMANITARIAN AID REG. CH. One of the projects of Humanitarian Aid reg. Ch. is the reconstruction of a hospital in Ndoungue, Cameroon and its development into a reference center. The project manager Dr. med. Soeren Gatz used to work as an assistant medical director at the Klinikum Landsberg am Lech. In Ndoungue, the project is led by Dr. François Marie Djomou Touomo, who visited Germany in January and shared deep insights into the project with us. SIP Scootershop decided to support Humanitarian Aid reg. Ch. not only financially (5.500 €), but also with manpower and logistics. Urgently needed material – such as hospital beds, mattresses, medical instruments and clothes - had to be shipped to Cameroon. No sooner said than done. On Friday, 17 Jan 2014 a SIP delegation helped to load the container and prepare it for the shipment to West Africa. www.sip-scootershop.com/sipaid
You can order from SIP using the following methods : With an ordering form or postcard, by fax, by phone and over the internet at our website – www.sip-scootershop.com. Orders received over the internet are processed immediately and where possible, despatched from our warehouse on the same day.
PAYMENT We accept the following methods of payment: Credit cards, PayPal, Amazon Payment and Cash-on -Delivery (by DHL in Germany and Switzerland but also by UPS in many other European countries) for your third successful order we can also offer you the convenience of Direct Debit. New Paypal Express, give it a try!
MINIMUM ORDER Barth ander o, . Alex ouom l.-Ing T ip u o D jom IP), n tepha abl (S arie D S R M s ), a is IP h (S ranço Andre Sollic r x ), Dr. F a le IP M S atz, Merg (CEO ren G p & Els d. Soe r: Sep Dr. me Scoote ), IP r (S Fische
NEW! As of now we do no longer have a minimum order value. That means, if you want to, you can order as little as a plug connector. From an order value of 250 EUR we deliver free of charge within Germany.
SIP EXPRESS SIP Express shipping. - Anyone who orders before 14.00 hrs. CET , using our SIP Express SPEED service (6 € surcharge) can be reassured that their order will be processed, packed and despatched on the same day using either DHL or UPS. It can also be sent using the UPS Express Saver service, whereby UPS guarantee the delivery of your parcel before noon on the following weekday.
SIP INTERN 31
MORE THAN 100.000 FRIENDS CANNOT ALL BE WRONG!
SIP SCOOTERSHOP ON FACEBOOK (as at April 2014) Add us as a friend on your Facebook account and benefit from exclusive Facebook offers and get the latest information which we only provide via this channel. We also ask our Facebook friends the versions or designs they like the best long before new products are planned. Get closer to the action and add our page to your Facebook account. www.facebook.com/scootershop
SIP PRIMO
PRIMO
20 Years SIP – 20 € SIP PRIMO Join SIP PRIMO now, pay 20 € shipping once and receive all deliveries free of charge for the coming 12 months! On top, each delivery gets handled “SIP SPEED” express shipping and you will receive one litre of SIP Prime oil (value 7,20 €) free of charge. Shipment by DHL, in Germany only. www.sip-scootershop.com
CUSTOMER OF THE MONTH Honeymoon on two wheels. Well, almost... Our (Jakarta based) customer Dennil took his wife on a Vespa trip across Europe. EICMA, Malossi... Within two weeks the two of them saw all that makes a scooterist‘s heart beat faster. Of course they stopped also by in Landsberg to visit the SIP headquarters. We wish them all the best for their future!
we do care. Wir alle möchten in einer intakten und sauberen Umwelt leben und unserem Hobby Rollerfahren nachgehen. SIP Scootershop unternimmt eine Menge zum Schutz unserer Umwelt. A responsible approach towards the environment is another crucial element of our corporate philosophy.
CO2 NEUTRALER VERSAND DURCH DHL GOGREEN CARBON NEUTRALITY BY DHL GOGREEN
UMWELTPAKT BAYERN BAVARIAN ENVIRONMENTAL PACT Der Umweltpakt Bayern ist eine Vereinbarung zwischen der Bayerischen Staatsregierung und der Bayerischen Wirtschaft. Er beruht auf Freiwilligkeit, Eigenverantwortung und Kooperation. The Bavarian Environmental Pact is an agreement between the Bavarian state government and the Bavarian economy. It is a voluntary, self-responsible cooperation.
Alle Versendungen per DHL verschicken wir CO2 neutral. Allein im Jahr 2012 konnten wir durch die gut 52.000 Pakete, die wir mit DHL GoGreen verschickt haben, rund 26.3 Tonnen CO2 kompensieren. All DHL shipments are climat-neutral parcel shipments for instance. Last year alone we were able to compensate 26.3 tons of Carbon Dioxide (Co2) by sending more than 52.000 parcels by DHL GoGreen.
STROM AUS 100% WASSERKRAFT ELECTRICITY FROM 100% HYDRO POWER
100% ALTPAPIER 100% RECYCLING PAPER 2012 haben wir unsere Dokumentenhüllen von PEKunststoff auf 100% chlorfrei gebleichtes Altpapier umgestellt, ebenso alle Dokumente wie Rechnungen und Lieferscheine sowie Kartonagen. In 2012 we changed all our document sleeves, documents such as invoices and other paperwork as well as paper board containers to 100% recycled, chlorine-free paper.
Nicht erst seit Fukushima hat Atomstrom sein sauberes Image verloren. Strom aus fossilen Energieträgern belastet unsere Atmosphäre mit einem immensen CO2 Ausstoss. Wir haben den Strombedarf unseres Betriebsgebäudes in Landsberg komplett auf Ökostrom aus 100% Wasserkraft umgestellt. Nuclear power has lost its clean image long before Fukushima. Electricity made from fossil fuels harms our atmosphere by massive co2 emissions. We therefore switched the power supply of our headquarters in Landsberg to green electricity made from 100% hydro power. www.sip-scootershop.com/sustainability